Origins: Where Everything Begin
by ImEmerald
Summary: Esmeralda Elizabeth or Esme Gray-Maroni's mundane life is interrupted when her Uncle decided to include her in a deal without her permission. So that's why she's spending the whole month of December in Gotham where she will be involved in an event that will change her life. Based on Arkham Origins from my OC's POV.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A Deal **

**A/N: Hello, welcome to my first fanfic. After reading some of my fellow writers' work I've decided to write my own. Please bear with me since English isn't my first language so there will be some mistake. Since Origins takes place 5 years before Arkham Asylum I estimated the year would be 2004 (5 years before the first game was released) that the don't own any characters besides Esme. With the help of my beta reader, this is the edited version so enjoy!**

_28__th__ November2004, Approximately 12.00 AM_

_Church St, Manchester, M4 flat, top floor_

_United Kingdom _

At this time normally people would've spent their night going to some bars for fun but to Esmeralda Elizabeth Gray-Maroni, or 'Esme' by those who are close to her is currently sitting on her desk looking at her laptop. Using her computer hacking skill, she easily hacked into one of the security camera of Black Dog Ballroom nightclub's exclusive VIP room looking where some of the socialites of Manchester unwind and danced wildly. As Esme watched the room from her laptop, she spotted a girl who recently made news for her 18th birthday, dancing sensually with a man who is slightly older than her.

"Well, well, well what do we have here? Celebrating your 18th birthday with an older guy in a club, what would your lord mayor of a father think of this?" Emse mused. "I can't believe some tabloids like the Daily Mail would waste their paper on her birthday"

Esme decided to capture and download the video, already planning to give it to some paparazzi waiting for a good story. Nothing is more value and important that secrets. Secrets that could humiliate and destroy someone lives and spoiled rich girls like the mayor's daughter deserve such mortification.

'_It might also involve the lord mayor but it's not my concern.' _Esme thought_ 'What better ways to get to the headlines that having your deepest and darkest secrets known to everyone.'_

As soon as the video finished downloading, an instrumental music of the 'Love theme from Godfather' was played from Esme's phone on the right side of her desk.

She reaches for it and noticed the first number is 1, a US phone number unlike the usual UK code number which is 44. Hesitant but also curious, she answered "Yes?"

"Hello, nipote" the one on the other end answered.

"Zio Sal, why did call me? It's been awhile!" Esme replied.

"Yeah I'm fine but I had some bad news. Listen, there's a vigilante that calls himself the Bat-Man. That figlio di puttana ruined our business and put me in a slammer!" Her paternal uncle Sal said with a slightly angry tone when mentioning the Bat-Man and the business. He was Esme's father's older brother and currently head of the Maroni mafia family. She's fully aware of the family's 'business' since she was young and back when she lived in Gotham when her parents are still alive.

"I'm sorry to hear that Zio but with some bribes, you managed to get out right?" Esme asked.

"I tried but with the Commish on Black Mask's payroll, it's a little harder than I thought. I managed to get out by making a deal with" Sal answered.

"What kind of deal?"

"I helped his plan about getting rid of that Bat-Man"

"I see. Is there anything else Zio?"

"Well, I maybe should tell you this but I told him I brought you along with the plan"

"What!?" Esme exclaimed. "Are you really that desperate to get out of jail that you involved me in your deal behind my back!?"

"Look I'm sorry but I'll make it up to you later" Sal said, trying to calm his niece down.

Esme let it some profanities before answering back, "Fine whatever, what's done is done. I'll book a flight to Gotham after this, but Zio si prega di non farlo di nuovo, ciao" And with that, she clicked the red button on her phone harshly and slammed the device on the desk when her eyes landed on her bed on the right side of the dimly-lighted room.

_*sigh*I'm tired; I need to sleep before I book a flight. Let Zio Sal and his deal wait. _As soon as her head landed on her soft pillow, her eyes slowly fluttered shut and soon she fell asleep. 

**Italian translation:**

**Nipote = Niece in this case. The word can also mean nephew, grandchild,, grandson and granddaughter**

**Zio = Uncle**

**Figlio di puttana = SOB. You know what it means**

**si prega di non farlo di nuovo, ciao = please don't do this again, bye**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Details of the plan **

_8 hours later…_

Esme yawned and stretched her arms after waking up from her sleep. She went to her desk checking her phone to see whether her uncle had made attempts to call her back. The screen on her phone stated that she had 5 missed calls. '_Well, I did kind of hang up on him,'_ she thought. She pressed the 'Call' button and waited for her uncle to pick up.

"Hello, who is this?" Sal responded with a gruff voice.

'_Someone's not in a very good mood or maybe it's because I call him at midnight, Gotham time' _Esme thought sheepishly "Zio Sal! I'm sorry I hung up on you. I'm just mad that you decided to make decisions behind my back. Is there something you need to say since you tried to call me 5 times?"

"Sides from saying I'm sorry, yeah there is. You'll be working with some guy named Edward Nashton. Black Mask sometimes hired him to get some extortion data for blackmail and recently Sionis put him in the GCPD Cybercrimes Unit." Sal answered.

"Sionis? I assume that was Black Mask's real name?" Esme asked.

"Ah, forgot to tell ya that. Yeah, he's real name is Roman Sionis and not everyone knows about it 'cept a few people"

"I see. Is there anything else you want to tell me Zio?"

"Umm… Oh! There's one more thing. Do you know someone named Oswald Cobblepot? He called himself the Penguin and used to live in London?"

"Mr. Cobblepot?! I used to work for when I was doing my 'O' Levels for extra cash. Grandmother Margaret and I didn't get along well so I had to hack some banks as my monthly allowance." Esme grimaced, remembering her maternal grandmother who viewed Esme with disdain and disapproval whenever they interact with one another.

"'O' Levels?" Sal asked, not familiar with the word.

"It's an exam you take after 5 years in high school" Esme explained.

"5 years? So you met and worked for Cobblepot 5 years after you moved from Gotham?"

"Yeah, it's a long story and we lost contact when I went to Oxford"

"He was in Gotham, building his reputation as the Penguin when that happened."

"I see. Is that all Zio?" Esme asked.

"Yeah that's it. See ya in December" With that, Sal hung up.

"December, huh? I better booked a flight, pack some clothes and inform some of my relatives that I'll be spending Christmas and the New Year in Gotham with my paternal relatives who I rarely make contact. Well, at least I already applied for a one month holiday leave from Gray Genetics." Esme talking to herself as she made headed to the bathroom for a shower. "*sigh* What a hassle"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry it's a little short and here are some facts you need to know which I should mention in chapter 1: 1) She's related to Sal Maroni through her father, Antonio 'Tony' Maroni, younger brother of Sal and former consigliere for the mob. 2) Her mother's name is Elizabeth Margaret Gray, daughter of an upper class family in Oxford 3) Her parents died in an accident when she was 10 and lived with her maternal relatives ever since. I planned to write more than 500 words per chapter and since the main events will be in Gotham, hopefully I can squeeze that in the next chapter where Esme will inform her relatives about her plans going to Gotham. And lastly as suggested by my beta reader Drakonflight, I will include translation of some Italian words in here:**

**Zio = Uncle **


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